The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

Cairo is set to soon welcome one of the biggest names in upscale hospitality – that name is St. Regis. Opening along the Corniche overlooking the Nile and the island of Zamalek, The St. Regis Cairo is set to fuse its own longstanding bespoke traditions with an authentic local touch as a symbol of modern Egyptian grandeur.

With traditions stretching over a century long from its beginnings in New York, it’s set to be a truly unique addition to Cairo’s elite landscape in bringing experiences beyond expectations to Cairo’s next most coveted address – and here’s why.

The St. Regis Butler Service is the Only Full Butler Service in Cairo

Hospitality is the buzz word around any hotel and it’s something that The St. Regis Cairo takes very seriously – and you needn’t look further than its full butler service for proof. As the only service of its kind in Cairo, no request is seemingly too big or too small, offering signature services including packing, unpacking, pressing and beverage service, all the while acting as the sole point of contact for the guest.

In addition, an E-Butler service is provided so that guests can get in touch with their butler digitally 24/7, even if outside The St. Regis Cairo premises. The St. Regis Butler Service has a reputation of being discreet and endlessly personalised – and it stands as one of the highlight features of The St. Regis Cairo.

It’s Set to Become the Most Luxurious & Timeless Wedding Venue in the City

Boasting a three-storey-high ceiling, The St. Regis Cairo’s Banquet Lobby is being touted as the most lavish and elegant of its kind. With a separate, exclusive entrance and a $1 Million Swarovski chandelier acting as a spectacular centrepiece, brides-to-be will also be able to make the grandest of entrances through the ballroom’s Grand Crystal Staircase into what is an all-round unapologetically extravagant venue.

There Are More Than Just Rooms Along its 39 Storeys

With 366 captivating rooms, suites and serviced apartments, The St. Regis Cairo is certainly a grand complex of luxury. Blending the hotel’s trademark use of its heritage with more modern sensibilities, all rooms and suites are furnished with unique pieces recalling distinct, timeless styles, with walls adorned with stunning murals of a papyrus garden.

There Will Be 10 Restaurants & Bars

For residents of Cairo, a hotel’s restaurants and bars are often a measure of its quality as a lifestyle destination. The St. Regis Cairo knows this all too well and the ten venues promised will cover everything from lavish takes on Middle Eastern and Pan-Asian cuisines, to a summer-friendly poolside grill and suitably chic bar, as well as the only hotel library in the city. 

The Hotel’s Iridium Spa Encompasses 1000 Sqm of Facilities

Iridium Spa goes back a long way – to 1938, to be exact. That was the year that the Iridium Room opened at The St. Regis New York. From then on, Iridium Spa has become an intuition of wellness, beauty and fitness, and a key element of the St. Regis experience across the world – and The St. Regis Cairo is set to follow suit. Within the vast spaces of the spa, transformative treatments and tailored experiences are the backbone of the Iridium, with a state-of-the-art fitness centre and a pool rounding off a unique facility.

The St. Regis New York was a High Society Hotspot

At the turn of the 19^th century, John Jacob Astor IV – of aristocratic Astor fame – had a vision to create the finest hotel in the world by bringing together American ingenuity with traditions of European hospitality. Out of this vision came The St. Regis New York, which opened in 1904 and quickly kept true to the promise of being the new social epicentre in NYC at the time for the rich and famous. Its standing as the elite of the elite is an essential element of any St. Regis around the world and The St. Regis Cairo is said to be directly influenced by its New York counterpart.

One particular tradition that cemented its popularity among the city’s elite was that of hosting some of the finest jazz musicians in history during what many consider to be the finest time for jazz music as a whole. Some of the names that graced The St. Regis New York’s Rooftop Ballroom events include legends such as Count Basie, Duke Ellington and Buddy Rich. The tradition still lives on till today, with St. Regis having partnered with New York’s Jazz at the Lincoln Centre to develop a series of jazz clubs across St. Regis hotels across the world, the first of which opened in Doha in 2012 – and five more are set to open in the next five years.

The Bloody Mary Cocktail Menu is the Stuff of Legend

Tradition and heritage is a big part of the St. Regis brand – none more so than its renowned Bloody Mary Menu. The story goes thus; in 1934, a bartender at The St. Regis New York’s legendary King Cole Bar by the name of Ferdinand Petiot perfected the recipe for a fiery vodka-and-tomato-juice cocktail. It’s this concoction that we have all come to know as the Bloody Mary and the drink continues to be the signature cocktail of St. Regis Hotels & Resorts, with each hotel customising its own, locally-inspired interpretation of the original. In Texas, for example, tequila is added to the mix, while whiskey is the bonus ingredient in London. In Cairo meanwhile, the signature cocktail is the Hibiscus Mary – one of the more unique takes across all the variations.

The St. Regis Cairo Went to Sahel

As we inch closer to its anticipated opening, expect to see The St. Regis Cairo name a lot over the coming months – and you might already have seen on the North Coast over the weekend. Making an appearance for the first time at SPG Lounge on Martin’s Beach in Marassi, The St. Regis Cairo management took to the sandy beaches of Sahel to give just a little taste of what’s to soon come in Egypt’s capital, including showcasingone of the St. Regis signature rituals, The Evening Ritual, which saw the transition between day and evening marked with a ceremony that touched on all the senses by the beach at sunset.

Beachgoers were also treated to an exceptional demonstration of skill, which served as the revival of the traditional art of sabering and introducing it for the first time in Egypt.

For more information on The St. Regis Cairo, contact info.cairo@stregis.com.